State Building In Tally Evacuated Due To Anthrax Scare

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) — An anthrax scare gripped state employees in Tallahassee on Monday.

State and local authorities are examining a state agency building after a suspicious letter was discovered, forcing some 1,500 employees to evacuate.

The letter was found inside the state’s highway safety building — four miles east of the Florida Capitol.

A Tallahassee Fire Department official told reporters that writing on an envelope found in the records office indicated anthrax was inside. But nothing was inside the envelope, which was addressed to the agency’s executive director.

Employees were told to return later Monday.

The letter will be handed over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for further examination. Seven employees are being examined for signs of contamination.

The incident comes as Mississippi officials charged a new suspect with sending letters containing ricin to President Obama and others.